The present invention relates to a procedure as defined in the preamble of claim 1 and to a system as defined in the preamble of claim 4 for verifying the duration of a process in a telecommunication system based on processor operation.
Processor operated systems, such as computer systems, often use a time measuring method based on time of day and date, which is called calendar time. Calendar time may be based e.g. on the standardised UTC time (UTC, Universal Time Coordinated). The internal clock of a system often has small deviations from the standard time because the clocks run at different speeds. The UTC time also often contains leaps, leap seconds for synchronising the clock with the rotation of the earth. Therefore, the calendar time must be checked from time to time and changed if necessary. The problem with this method are time-dependent processes which occur during a shift of calendar time and whose start and end instants are bound to the calendar time. After the calendar time shift, the actual duration of the process is not known.
The object of the present invention is to eliminate the drawbacks described above. A specific object of the present invention is to disclose a procedure that makes it possible to bring time-dependent processes bound to calendar time under control.
As for the features characteristic of the invention, reference is made to the claims.
The procedure of the invention concerns the verification of the duration of a process started in a telecommunication system based on processor operation at a given instant defined according to the internal calendar time of the system. According to the invention, the duration of the process is measured by two methods; firstly, as the time interval between the start and end instants according to the calendar time of the operating system; secondly, by using a timeout independent of the calendar time. The measurement of the duration of the process is verified by comparing the duration as determined by calendar time with the duration as determined by the timeout independent of calendar time.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the measurement result is corrected by a factor obtained from the ratio between the calendar time duration and the calendar-time independent timeout.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the process to be measured is a metering process used to measure e.g. the duration of a call or data connection.
The system of the invention relates to the verification of the duration of a process started in a telecommunication system based on processor operation at a given instant defined according to the internal calendar time of the system. According to the invention, the system comprises means for measuring the duration of the process as the time interval between the start and end instants according to the calendar time of the operating system, means for measuring the duration of the process by using a timeout independent of the calendar time, and means for verifying the duration of the process by comparing the duration determined according to calendar time with the duration determined by a timeout independent of calendar time.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the system comprises means for correcting the measurement result by using a coefficient obtained from the ratio between the duration according to calendar time and the timeout independent of calendar time. In a preferred case, the invention is used to verify the duration of a metering process.
The invention has the advantage that it makes it possible to estimate the utility value of a process. It provides means for detecting whether the process has lasted for a given time or whether it is necessary to take additional measures regarding the matter to correct the situation. The invention is especially applicable in situations where a process is to occur at a certain time, both in respect of its starting instant and duration. Therefore, it is important to know the length of time used for the process, regardless of possible changes in the calendar time of the system during the process.